PHOENIX (STN) – For LaToya Taylor, maternal health is more than a professional focus—it’s deeply personal. As Director of Medical Management Clinical Operations at Mercy Care, Taylor has dedicated her career to advocating for better maternal healthcare, ensuring that both mothers and providers understand the importance of listening when something doesn’t feel right.
“I stand on my soapbox the most about my pregnant women, my pregnant moms,” she said. “While we need to educate our moms, we also need to educate the providers… They may not know the medical term for it, but they know when something is wrong.”
Taylor’s passion stems from her own harrowing experience. At 21 years old, she was expecting her first child when she noticed something alarming—her baby had stopped moving. Despite undergoing regular stress tests, doctors dismissed her concerns, attributing it to a lack of space in the womb. Weeks later, she underwent an emergency C-section. Her baby spent 12 hours in the NICU, while Taylor endured two weeks in the hospital fighting an infection—a situation that could have ended in tragedy, as it does for far too many women.
“Minority women are four times more likely to die in childbirth or shortly after than their white counterparts,” she stated. “Why is that? It comes down to they’re not listened to—and that is a problem.”
LaToya Taylor turns trauma into a mission for change:
This disparity is a driving force behind Taylor’s work. She believes the key to improving maternal outcomes isn’t just access to care, but ensuring that healthcare providers truly hear their patients and take their concerns seriously.
“It just takes somebody listening, and that’s the point I want to get across,” she said.
Now, at Mercy Care, Taylor is determined to make a difference, leading teams that specialize in maternal and child health, special needs populations, and overall patient advocacy.
“Even on my worst day, I still feel like I’m doing something that’s important,” she reflected. “We always err on the side of doing what’s right for the member, regardless of what it costs us.”
Her message is clear: When mothers are heard, lives are saved.
